Method and apparatus for tilting tray conveyer systems



March 14, 1933. I POTTHOFF 1,900,948

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR TILTING TRAY CONVEYER SYSTEMS Filed Oct. 19, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l R BY ()IMMMATTORNEY March 14, 1933. PQTTHQFF 1,900,948

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR TILTING TRAY CCNVEYER SYSTEMS Filed Oct. 19, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Mar. 14, 1933 I UNITED STATES KURT TSZE'OTIHOFF, F BROOKLYN, NEW YORK mn'rnonm ArrARATUs FOR TILTINGTRAYCONVEYER SYSTEMS 1 Application filed 0cto ber l9, 1928 Serial No. 313,514.

This invention relates tomethods and apparatus for treating articles in liquids before, during or after electroplating, and

more particularly to means forpassing into and out of liquids hollow articles closed at in liquids.

one end and openat the other, though it is noted that the invention is not limited to the treatmentof hollow articles, norm plating nor in some respects even ,to treatment One object of the invention is toprovide in an apparatus or device of this kind suitable means for lowering the article with the closed part of the article intothe tank in ad-' Another object of the invention is to pro- 0 vide, in an apparatus or device of this kind suitable means of general application for conveying articles .or dipping them into tanks. 1

Another object of the, invention is to .pro- 5 vide an apparatus or device of this kind having an intermittent. drive means for bringing the conveying means to rest at a convenient position for loading and at positions where prolonged rest or action of the liquids is de- 0 sired. 7

Other objects of the invention are to improve generally the simplicity and e'liiciency of such apparatus andmethods and to pro- 4 vide an apparatus of this kind which is economical, durable and reliable in operation, and economical to manufacture.

Still other objects of the invention will appear as the description proceeds; and while herein details of the invention are described 0 and claimed, the invention is not limited to these, since many and various changes may be made without departing from the'scope of the invention as claimed in the broader claims. i

The inventive features for the accomplishment of these and other objects are shown herein in connection with an improved liquid treating apparatus which, briefly stated, in cludes a series of tanks and a frame carrying 0 sprockets rotatably mounted above the tanks at'both ends of each tank and at lower levels intermediately of said ends and also somewhat higher than and near the outer corners of the end tanks. Said sprockets carry, at opposite sides of the apparatus, conveyer chains passing under said sprockets of said lower level and over the other sprockets, so that opposite positions of the twochains'dip down over each tank, thereby to lower into the tanks suitable trays having their. ends suspended from opposite links of thechains, one end being in advance of the other so that end is lowered first as the'tray enters the liquid and is raised first'when the tray leaves the liquids. Hollow articles, such as car e5 tridge shells, are placed lengthwise of the tray with the closed end at the advanced end of the tray. 7 v a The shells being positioned with their closed ends toward the advancedend of the tray are tilted downwardlyat that end as the tray enters a tank, to permit trapped airbubbles. tofloat out of the cartridges, and are tilted up as the trayleaves the tank to permit trapped liquid therein to run out'at the open end anddrain back into the tank. 1 I

In the accompanying drawings showing, by wa I of exa'mple,-one of many possible embodiments of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a fragmental planet the loading end of the apparatus;

Fig. 2 is a fragmental side elevation showing the same end; i

Fig. 3 is a fragmental plan of the emerging end of the apparatus;

Fig. 4 is a fragmented side elevation of the emerging end;

Fig. 5 is an end elevation and Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view of another form of tray.

My improved conveying means is shown in. combination with a series of tanks 5, 6, 7, 8 (Figs Q and 4:) disposed end for end in a straight line and which may include a long acid pickling tank 5 at the loading end 10, rinsing and neutralizing tanks, 6 and 7, and the like and a soap solution tank 8 at the of the apparatus;

emerging end 11 of the series, though the invention is in noway limited to a plurality of tanks used in sequence. Pipe coils 12, 13 Figs. 1 and 3 are shown in the bottom of some of the tanks for controlling the temperature therein; but the invention is not so limited.

The conveying means is carried on a frame comprising base pedestals 15, at the corners of the tanks and intermediately of the sides of the long tank 5. A horizontal beam 17 on each side of the series of tanks and resting on said pedestals carries upper pedestals 18, 19, 20, 21 mounte,d on said beams respectively over the base pedestals and connected by tie rods 22 connecting the upper ends of opposite upper pedestals.

-Slanting bearing brackets 25,26 having their upper ends 27 mounted against the faces of said pedestals 20 are disposed at both ends of :the tanks and have their lower ends 28, :29.mounted on the beams 17 a distance from the pedestals, adjacent ends 29 joining at the short tanks 6 and 8.; and upper brackets 30,31 (Figs. 2 and 4) on the upper part of the end faces of the end upper pedestals 18 and 21 have bearing blocks 32 adjustable thereon-longitudinally of the tanks by means of screws 33.

Cross-drive shafts 35 extending all the way across the machineare rotatably mounted in the lower ends of the slanting brackets 25, 26; while non-rotary inwardly pointing short shafts 36, 37 are fast in said bearing blocks at the upper ends 27 of said slanting brackets 26. Said shafts 35 carry drive sprockets 40 fast 011 said drive shafts and idle sprockets 41, 42 loose on said short shafts, the sprockets 41 at the bearing blocks being larger than the others.

A pairof endless conveyer chains 45, movable in vertical'planes at opposite sides of the machine, under all of said drive sprockets 40 and over the idle sprockets 41, 42, thereby provide downward and upward slanting courses, 46, 47 for the chains between the sprockets 40 and 42 by each slanting bracket 25, 26.

In worm gear housings 49, a main drive shaft 50 rotatably mounted longitudinally of one of said beams carries worms fast thereon engaging worm wheels fast on the cross drive-shafts 35.

The main shaft 50 is rotated by an intermittent-drive motor (Fig. 2) connected to said main shaft 50 by a chain 56 and sprockets 57 and a reducing worm drive 58 for intermittently'driving said main shaft and consequently the cross drive shafts, the drive sprockets and both chains. However the invention is not limited to intermittent or any particular form of drive.

Tracks 60, 61 (Fig. 5) mounted on the inner face of the upper part of the upper pedestals 20 and along the upper edges of the tank 5 engage under the chains for slidably supporting the chains.

A plurality of horizontal cross bars 64 connecting ofiset links of the respective opposite chains, and disposed at a slanting angle to the chains so that one end 65 of the bar is in advance of the other end 66 by about three inches, carry brackets 67 pivotally suspended from opposite ends of each cross bar and hanging in approximately vertical planes near the sidewalls of the tanks and carrying trays 68 having their ends connected fast to the brackets and each comprising end walls 69 supporting and connected by a plurality of parallel rods 70, 71 forming the bottom and side walls of the tray. There may be one tray for each cross bar or a smaller number of trays as desired. Said rods 70, 71 are adapted to receive and position articles thereon, particularly tubular articles such as cartridge shells 7 3 (Fig. 5), closed at one end.

The advance end 65 of each cross-bar and tray is lowered in advance of, and held lower than, the other end 66 when the bar reaches the downwardly inclined chain courses 46 at the ends of the tanks, and are raised in ad Vance of, and held higher than, said other end when the cross-bar reaches the upwardly slanting courses 47. The shells being positioned with their closed ends 74 toward the advanced end 65 of said crossbar and the trays are tilted downwardly at that end as the tray enters a tank, to permit trapped airbubbles .to float out of the open end of the cartridges, and are tilted up as the tray leaves the tank to permit trapped liquid there in to run out at the open end and drain back into the tank.

Said trays are so spaced from each other, and said intermittent drive is so timed as to bring the trays to rest, for loading and unloading, at the loading end 10 of the apparatus, and if desired at the receiving and discharge end of each tank for giving a longor time for discharging the air and drainage, and at an intermediate part of the pickling tank or other tank to give the liquid time to act, thus shortening the necessary length of the tank.

If the intermittent drive is not used, the operator loads and unloads While the tray is in motion.

The operation is simple and obvious from the foregoing. The operator stands at the loading end 10 and as the intermittent drive, if used, brings the basket to rest at said end, the operator places the shells 73 or other articles thereon with the closed end 74 toward the advanced end 65. As the rod 64 passes down the first slanting course 46, the closed end of the shell is immersed first and the air bubbles pass out, which may be during a pause in the drive, if the intermittent drive is so timed. The shell next passes to, and pauses at, intermediate parts of the tank, and then reaches the upward slanting course 47, the closed end of the shell being raised first wheel 41 carries the bar 64 along the upper horizontal course of the chains on the tracks 60, and carries the trays and articles over the tanks back to the loading end 10, where the articles areremoved by the operator.

While the main feature of the invention is the angularly arranged bars 64 and trays, the apparatus is not limited to this feature,

as without it, the apparatus would be suit-.

able for many operations without the traytilting feature.

In my co-pen-ding applicatlon Senal No. 313,515 filed Oct. 19, 1928, I show and cla m a drying chamber open at'both-ends CllS- posed abovethe tanks between the upper part of opposite upper pedestals and having a floor extending laterally against the pedestals and side walls disposed near the pedestals. 7

While herein this chamber is not shown, the inventionsherein claimed are not limited to use without the drier.

Only afew of the trays 68 are shown on the drawings, but it is understood that these may be as many as the chains can accommodate, if desired.

The intermittent conveyer drive facilltatcs loading and unloading, and intenslfies action of the solutions when the articles are stationary. It intensifies washin act on, since it necessitates moving the carrier faster through the bath in order to have thematerial remain in solution forrsame period of time. 7 V I The intermittent drive permits the reduction of size of various tanks and the drying.

chamber, in some instances as much as 50%, with consequent saving in cost of equlpment, floor space and the like.

It permits proper draining of solutions, thereby eliminating consequent contamination of the succeeding baths.

In plating machines it more thoroughly removes gases formed on the articles caused by the plating action, since it permits the material to travel faster through the bath ina given time than wouldbe possible without intermittent motion. The intermittent motion will, therefore, render the action of the solutions on the metal more uniform. since this action will not be interfered with by the presence of gas bubbles which would otherwise collect.

When plating articles, for instance shells closed at both ends, which tend to float when immersed, I provide the special tray shown in Fig. 6.

This tray comprises-end brackets 79 adapted to be pivotally suspended from the cross bars connected by a pluralityof bottom rods 80 and side rods 81, 82, 83, 84. In order to retain the articles in the tray, I provide a lid comprising end members connected by top rods 86 and pivoted on the rod 82 and provided at the free ends with cut-outs 88 receiving the rod 83 when the lid is closed. The lid is held closed by spring latches 89 secured on the free ends of the members 185 and .d'etachably engaged under the rods 84. I r

This tray of Fig. 6 is heavy enough to sink the floatable articles secured therein.

While herein, in the specification and claims I mention tanks in which the articles are immersed rather than spraying or treatmg stations or zones Where the articles may be sprayed or otherwise treated, it is understood that such stations may sometimes be substituted for tanks, and the claims herein are to be, for purposes of protection construed as covering such treating stations when'such substitution is possible.

I claim as my invention:

1. An apparatus comprising a series of tanks; a frame over the tanks; sprockets above the tanks at both ends of the tanks and at lower level intermediately of said ends and also a distance above the outer corners of. the end tanks; cross-shafts fast to and supporting said sprockets of the lower levels; conveyor chains at opposite sideso-f the apparatus and passing under said sprockets of said loWer level and over the other sprockets; trays having their ends suspended from opposite chains; main drive shafts rotatabiy mounted longitudinally of said frame; worms fast on said main shafts; Worm wheels fast on the cross shafts and engaged by said worms; and means for driving one of the main shafts.

2. An apparatus comprising a tank for liquid; means for so passing an article through said liquid as to tilt said article substantially on its path as an axis, and in opposite directions respectively when entering and leaving said liquid. i

3. An apparatus comprising a tank for liquid; means for so passing an article to be treated through saidliquid asto tilt said article back and forth substantially on its path as an axis while in said tank and to maintain said article at a constant angle while traveling substantially horizontally in said path. I

4. A method comprising forming a liquid treating zone; passing an article to be treated through said zone; tilting said article laterally to its path substantially on the path as an axis while in said zone and maintaining it in an intermediate position at a'ccnstant angle while traveling substantially horizon-- tally in said path.

5. A method comprising passing an article to be treated through liquid in a tank; tilting said article while in said tank; maintaining it at a substantially constant angle while traveling substantially horizontally in said path; and causing the article to pause while in said condition.

6. An apparatus comprising a tank for liquid; a carrier; a conveyer entirely exterior to the liquid for lowering the carrier into the liquid, said conveyer being connected with said carrier by means tilting the carrier while in the liquid.

7. An apparatus comprising a tank; conveyers passing along opposite sides of the tank; and trays having corresponding parts suspended from opposite conveyers respectively; the suspending connections of each tray being such as at times to tilt the same by imparting an upward and downward relative movement to corresponding parts of the tray.

8. An apparatus comprising a tank; conveyers passing along opposite sides of the tank and passing to lower levels intermediately of the ends of the tank; and a carrier having ends having corresponding parts supported from opposite conveyers respectively, each part supported from one conveyer being in advance of the corresponding part supported from the opposite conveyer.

9. An apparatus comprising a tank; conveyers on opposite sides of the tank and passing above the ends of the tank and to lower levels intermediately of said ends; and elongated trays diagonally transverse to their paths and having their respective ends supported from opposite conveyers, one of said ends being in advance of the other.

10. An apparatus comprising a tank; conveyers passing along opposite sides of the tank and passing to lower levels intermediately of the ends of the tank; and a carrier having parts respectively supported from one point only of opposite conveyors, one of said points being in advance of the other.

11. An apparatus comprising a tank for liquid; conveyers movable along opposite sides of the tank and passing to lower levels intermediately of the ends of the tank; and carriers movable through the liquid having corresponding parts supported from opposite conveyors respectively; the point on one conveyer at which one part of the carrier is supported having upward and downward relative movement relative to the point of the opposite conveyer at which the corresponding part of the carrier is supported.

12. An apparatus comprising a tank; conveyers on opposite sides of the tank and passing above the ends of the tank and to lower levels intermediately of said ends; a rod supported from opposite conveyers diagonally transverse to their path with one end of the rod in advance of its other end; and an elongated tray having its ends suspended from the resepctive ends of the rod.

13. An apparatus comprising a series of tanks; sprockets above the tanks near both ends of the tanks and additional sprockets at lower levels intermediately of said ends; con- Veyer chains at opposite sides of the apparatus passing under said sprockets of said lower level and over the other sprockets; and diagonally transversely arranged elongated trays having their respective ends suspended from opposite chains with one of said ends in advance of the other.

14. An apparatus comprising a series of tanks; sprockets above the tanks near both ends of the tanks and additional sprockets at lower levels intermediately of said ends; conveyer chains at opposite sides of the appar tus passing under said sprockets of said lower level and over the other sprockets; diagonally transverse rods having their respective ends suspended from opposite chains with one end of the rod in advance of the other; and elongated trays having their ends suspended respectively from the ends of the respective rods.

15. An apparatus for treating, in a liquid, hollow articles closed at one part and open at another, said apparatus comprising a tank for the liquid; automatic means for lowering the articles into the liquid and raising the articles from the liquid with the closed part in advance of said open part, to permit the liquid to drain out; and means for automatically causing said article to pause during the time of the liquid drainage, to give suiticient time for such action to take place.

16. An apparatus for treating, in a liquid, hollow articles closed at one part and open at another, said apparatus comprising a tank for the liquid; means for advancing the articles; means for lowering the articles into the liquid, incidentally to their advance with the closed part in advance of the open part to permit air to be discharged, and raising the articles from the liquid; and means for automatically causing said article to pause during the time of the air discharge, to give sufficient time for such action to take place.

17. A method for treating, in a liquid in a tank, hollow articles closed at one part and open at another, said method comprising, lowering the articles into the liquid with the closed part in advance of the open part to permit air to be discharged; raising the articles from the liquid with the closed part in advance of said open part, to permit the liquid to drain out; and causing said article to pause during the time of the air discharge and liquid drainage, to give sull'icient time for such action to take place.

18. An apparatus comprising a tank; a conveyer; a tray suspended in the tank from the conveyer and comprising parallel rods disposed to form a tray bottom, the space between adjacent rods being free of structure from end to end of said space, whereby shells and the like may be ositioned by the rods longitudinal to the ro s at any distance from the ends of the rods said conveyer being connected to said tray by means imparting a longitudinal tilting movement to the rods.

19. An apparatus comprising a tank; a conveyer; a tray suspended in said tank from the conveyer transverse to its path, and comprising parallel rods disposed to form a tray bottom, the space between adjacent rods being free of structure from end to end of said space, whereby shells and the like may be positioned by the rods longitudinal to the rods at any distance from the ends of the rod, the tray bottom being flat, whereby positioned shells may position shells above; said conveyer being connected tosaid tray by means imparting longitudinal tilting movement to said rods and to the shells positioned thereby. 20. An apparatus comprising a tank for liquid; conveyers movable at opposite sides of the tank; a tray comprising brackets suspended from opposite conveyers and parallel rods between said brackets, disposed to form tray walls, a lid and a flat tray bottom; said conveyors being connected to said tray by means imparting endwise tilting movement to said tray-bottom.

21. An apparatus comprising a tank for levels intermediately of the ends of the tank; and a carrier having opposite parts supported respectively from parts of the opposite conveyers, one of said conveyer parts being substantially continuously in advance of the other part.

Signed at New York in the county of New York and State of New York this 18th day of October D. 1928.

KURT T; ,POTTHOFF.

liquid; a carrier for articles; a conveyer en tirely exterior to said liquid for passing an article carried by the carrier through the liquid, said conveyer being connected to said carrier by means imparting tilting movement to the article.

22. An apparatus comprising a tank for liquid; a carrier for articles; a conveyer entirely exterior to said liquid, and connections therefrom to said carrier torso passing an article carried by the carrier into the liquid and from the liquid so as to impart to the article a tilting movement while in the liquid.

23. An apparatus comprising a tank for liquid; a carrier for articles; a conveyer entirely exterior to said liquid for so passing the carrier that an article carried thereby will be passed into the liquid and from the liquid; said conveyer having means associated therewith forcausing the carrier to be tilted in opposite directions respectively when entering and leaving the liquid.

24. An apparatus comprising a tank for liquid; a carrier for articles; .a moving conveyer at all times entirely exterior to said liquid, and connections therefrom to said carrier for so passing the carrier into the liquid and from the liquid so as to tilt thecarrier in substantially opposite directions respectively when entering and leaving the liquid.

25. An apparatus comprising a tank; conveyors disposed along opposite sides of the tank and inclining to and from' difierent 

